How Eating Soup Can Aid In Weight-loss and Improve Your General Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a staggering 36.5% of adults in the USA suffer from obesity. It is no wonder that the diet industry is being inundated with fad-diets promising unrealistic results which more often than not see the user regaining all the lost weight, and even more. It cannot be argued however that some foods that form part of these fad-diets can prove to be highly effective as part of a healthy weight-loss program.

It is important to remember that you didn’t pick up the weight in a day so you can’t expect to lose it in a day either. Most Americans tend to gain up to 3 pounds a year during winter and simply don’t manage to shed it again when spring comes. If you want to lose a large amount of weight you have to do it methodically and that is where soup can prove to be very useful.

Can soup really help you lose weight?

Research indicates that indulging in a cup of delicious, low-calorie soup before a meal can assist significantly in your weight-loss efforts by decreasing your appetite before the main meal arrives. As you are not as hungry as you would have been if you declined the soup, you will consume less calories during the main course, lowering your daily caloric intake substantially. You can use this technique twice a day, before lunch and supper, to reduce your daily calorie intake even more.

Which soups should you eat?

Unfortunately, not all soups were created equal. Low-calorie soups consisting of broth & vegetables, pureed vegetables or chunky vegetables all have tremendous calorie-reduction benefits. Unfortunately creamed soups and those packed with pasta or cheese have the exact opposite effect: your calorie intake will sky-rocket. Try opting for vegetable soups made from a clear veg, chicken or beef broth. By incorporating fat-burning vegetables such as beans, peppers and spinach into your soup you create a two-fold effect that will help you shed your excess weight fast.

What other health benefits does eating soup have?

● It is recommended by the American Heart Association that adults eat an average of 8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day which equates to roughly 4 1/2 cups. Soup can go a long way in helping you reach this goal as just about any vegetable can be used to make a tasty soup.

● Soup is very easily digested which makes it an ideal source of nutrients for anyone who is suffering from a compromised digestive system.

● Collagen is important for strengthening tendons, rejuvenating the skin and easing joint pain and arthritis. When the human diet was still largely unprocessed and included tendons, small bones and skin we never lacked collagen. Today our main source of collagen is the gelatin found in bone broths used as the bases for soups.

Soup is delicious, nutritious, can help you shed your unwanted pounds with ease and give your general health a boost. It is also easy to prepare, cost-effective and the flavor combinations are only limited by the boundaries of your creativity.